First Blossom ONE SHOT
by FullMoonDreams
Summary: Severus Snape's second meeting with Lily Evans...as it might have been. DH spoilers. Please read and review.


_Disclaimer: The characters and places in this story are all the property of JK Rowling. I have merely borrowed them and given them my own little twist._

* * *

**First Blossom**

The young dark haired boy sat on the swing in the playground. There was an air of dejection about him as kicked his shoes at the concrete.

It had all gone wrong and he had no idea why.

Three days had passed since he'd approached Lily…three days since she'd marched out of the playground without a backward glance at him.

He'd returned every day, hoping that she'd come back again, that he'd have a second chance…and that this time he'd get it right.

If only he could figure out what it was that he'd done wrong.

He'd been so excited to see someone his own age doing magic. Living in the middle of an area populated by muggles there had never been a chance to talk to a witch or wizard his own age.

Until the day he'd seen _her_.

He couldn't understand why she'd not been as pleased and excited as he had been. Instead she'd taken the advice of her muggle sister and left him standing in playground. Even worse she hadn't returned.

He started to swing slightly as he recalled Lily soaring into the air from the swings. She'd appeared to be as light as a feather and graceful as a doe, but try as he might he just couldn't seem to emulate her.

He pushed himself to swing higher and higher until finally he let go of the chains at the highest point he could reach.

He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

He picked himself up and glared at the pavement, as though that was to blame for his failure.

He brushed down the knees of his jeans, leaving a smear of blood on the fabric. He looked at his hand and saw that he'd re-opened the scab of the cut that he'd acquired two days ago, the first time that he'd launched himself from the swings.

He made his way back to the swings, sat down, and pulled a crumpled handkerchief from one of his pockets to staunch the flow of blood.

Once the bleeding had stopped he returned the handkerchief to his pocket and pulled out instead the only other item that was in there.

The small flower was faded and slightly crushed from the three days it had been tucked away in his coat pocket.

He still didn't know why he'd felt the need to pick up the small blossom that Lily had held in the palm of her hand just before he'd found the courage to speak to her.

The impulse to pick up the flower that she had touched had been as strong as the one he'd had to talk to her.

He smiled sadly as he looked at the flower and tucked it away in his pocket once more.

He kicked at the ground again but felt no desire to leap from the swing.

"Hey look!" a voice called from across the far side of the playground, distracting him from his gloomy thoughts. "It's that weird kid from down Spinners End!"

Severus looked up at the sound of the shout and saw the group of boys coming towards him. He glared at them, recognising them as being regular tormentors of his.

"These are our swings," one of the boys said as they surrounded him.

"Yeah," another chimed in. "You 'ave to get our permission before you sit on 'em."

Severus glared at them but didn't move from the swing. He wished every kind of injury and misfortune on the boys but they stood their ground, waiting for him to comply with their orders.

Severus knew he wasn't nearly angry enough to do any magic to scare the boys off. Only when he was so angry and scared that he lost control did his magic pour forth from inside him.

Today it just wasn't happening. His sadness at Lily's rejection of his offer of friendship was preying on his mind and overshadowed the anger he'd normally have felt.

"Leave him alone!"

Severus spun round at the sound of the familiar, and yet also unfamiliar, voice. He'd never heard Lily angry before and he watched as she marched across the playground towards the swings.

He didn't see the reaction of the other boys. He only had eyes for Lily as the fiery young girl approached the group. Her face was flushed and her green eyes flashed with anger.

"I aint fighting no girl," one of the boys muttered.

"Too right," another one replied as he backed off. "I've got me reputation to think of."

One by one the boys backed off in the face of the furious Lily and left the playground.

"I could have handled them," Severus snapped.

"Four on one didn't seem very fair to me," Lily replied as she sat on the neighbouring swing.

Severus sat in a sulky silence. Now the boys would think he needed a girl to fight his battles for him. He wanted to tell Lily that, but even more, he wanted her to stay. This was his second chance and he didn't want to blow this one too.

Lily kicked off from the ground and began to swing back and forth. Severus watched her, almost hypnotised by her movements.

This time however Lily didn't fly from the swing. Instead she let her momentum gradually slow down until she was once more stationary beside him.

"Are you really a wizard?" she asked, a frown of curiosity on her face as she turned towards him.

Severus nodded in response, hesitant to speak in case he somehow said the wrong thing and scared her away once more.

"So why can't you do what I did?" Lily asked.

"You watched?" replied Severus, slightly pleased despite his lack of ability to do what the girl sitting beside him had been doing with ease for weeks.

Lily flushed and nodded.

If it had been anyone else spying on him he knew he'd have been furious but somehow the idea of Lily observing him as he'd watched her seemed…right.

"I don't know why I can't," Severus replied in answer to her question. "I can do other stuff though…loads…"

"Show me," Lily pleaded.

"I…" Severus hesitated. How could he explain that it was only when he was angry and scared that he could do magic?

As Lily waited for his answer her rapt expression gradually changed to one of disappointment and Severus felt his heart sink once more. It was all going wrong again.

"I can't control it as well as you," he finally admitted.

Lily smiled again and Severus knew his confession had been worth it.

"Well how about you teach me all you know about wizards and witches, and I try and teach you how to control your magic?" she offered.

Severus felt the tell-tale tugging of a smile at the corner of his lips and nodded his agreement.

"I'm Lily Evans," Lily said as she began to swing once more.

"Severus Snape," Severus replied as he matched her, move for move.

Higher and higher they swung in almost perfect synchronisation.

"On three," Lily cried out. "Are you ready Severus?"

His smile grew wider as she spoke his name for the first time.

"One…"

She turned to look at him as they swung and smiled at him with joy.

"Two…"

He'd got a second chance! She wanted to be his friend!

"Three!"

In perfect harmony they let go of the swings and soared into the air.

For the first time in his life Severus did magic without anger.

With the knowledge that Lily was now his first real friend, Severus felt happiness like he'd never known before.

With Lily Evans at his side, Severus Snape flew.


End file.
